October is Fair Trade month and a great chance to introduce the movement to your friends and families! If your plans are grand but you need a bit of help to get them up and moving, then check out the mini-grants offered by TransFair. They average $500 and are to help promote Fair Trade in anyway you like. "From house parties and café crawls, to fashion shows and festivals, advocates have organized thousands of creative and inspiring activities that build the movement for Fair Trade and bring the benefits of globalization to people all over the world."

Entries are due September 15th, 2007 so move fast and get the creative juices flowing! From TransFair, the objectives are:

• Projects should contribute to education and awareness of Fair Trade and aim to increase the availability, demand for, and sales of Fair Trade Certified™ products. We encourage you to gather names from event participants to add to TransFair USA’s email list.
• Projects should aim to engage members of your community to become active in the Fair Trade movement. We rely on grassroots supporters just like you to spread the Fair Trade message — and any get involved after attending a Fair Trade event.
• Build the Fair Trade movement by financially supporting TransFair USA. We recognize that you may not have thought about using your event as a fundraiser, but we would like you to consider it. We can provide materials to help you think through this component and we are happy to speak with you if you would like additional support.

With requirements only 500 words or less, the grant-writing portion of this great opportunity isn’t as frightening as you might think. Along with typical contact information and budgeting expectations, TransFair wishes to know your experience and inspiration to become involved in Fair Trade. They also ask for a brief description of your project and possible challenges, with such topics as:

• How will your project increase the visibility, availability, and sales of Fair Trade Certified products?
• How many people do you expect to reach at your event?
• How will you publicize your event?
• What educational materials do you plan to use?
• What other groups or organizations are you collaborating with?
• Do you plan to collect donations to support TransFair’s work? If so, what is your fundraising goal?

Proceeds in 2006 were used to fund everything from "Fair Trade fairs and product tastings, to radio shows and farmer tours, to conferences and panel discussions." Highlights of some of the larger projects included bringing Tadesse Meskela, Ethiopian Fair Trade coffee cooperative manager to speak at screenings of Black Gold and supporting tours with Fair Trade rice and banana farmers. Be creative and find ways to engage your community in an exploration of Fair Trade!